Paedophile nursery worker admits filming himself sexually abusing children in his care

A nursery worker who filmed herself sexually abusing four children has pleaded guilty to 26 offenses in what has been described as “one of the most significant and disturbing child protection cases in recent history”.

Vincent Chan, 45, a British national of Chinese origin, abused children as young as three while they slept and took distressing photos of them while using his work iPad.

Chan was arrested in June 2024 after an employee reported that he filmed a child sleeping inside the food and set it to music before showing the clip to a colleague. He was initially held on suspicion of negligence and released on bail. She lost her job at the children’s nursery in West Hampstead, north London, which has since closed.

Following Chan’s arrest, officers seized 25 digital devices from his home and three from his nursery and discovered a cache of “deeply disturbing” material.

During the “extremely complex” investigation, police seized a total of 69 devices from his property, including hard drives and laptops, to uncover the extent of his crime.

It is known that he committed violence against at least four little girls while working in a nursery between 2017 and 2024.

Chan, of Finchley, pleaded guilty to 26 offenses relating to child sexual assault offenses and taking and making indecent images of children.

The offenses included five counts of sexual assault of a child by penetration, four counts of sexual assault of a child by touching, 11 counts of taking an indecent photograph or false photograph, and six counts of taking an indecent photograph or false photograph.

Chan, wearing a gray tracksuit, confirmed his identity and made his guilty pleas in front of some of his victims’ families at Wood Green Crown Court.

Families of the victims were contacted directly and received expert support. The NSPCC opened a helpline for 700 families with children attending nursery during the time Chan worked there.

A statement from a law firm representing the families said: “As parents, we are still trying to process the sickening discovery that our children were subjected to vile abuse by Vincent Chan at the Bright Horizons daycare. By pleading guilty, we were spared the prospect of hearing about Vincent Chan’s crimes… detailed in a hearing. We trust that the judge will impose the strongest sentence appropriate for the crimes Vincent Chan committed against young children, innocent victims who were unable to fight back.”

“We feel that Bright Horizons has failed us and we want answers. How did someone like Vincent Chan get hired? Why did the security systems completely fail? How could such horrific crimes against children continue for so long without Bright Horizons nursery operations?”

“We are concerned that the failures at Bright Horizons have led to this abuse going unnoticed, and we are committed to securing accountability for our children.”

In a statement, the nursery said Chan’s actions were a “deep betrayal” and that the company had extensive safeguarding practices, including strict vetting and DBS criminal record checks.

The statement added: “Whilst this individual’s actions came to light after a colleague raised concerns and followed our reporting procedures to report him, we fully accept that the evidence suggests that the individual was able to commit these offenses despite our protective measures.

“In light of this, we have appointed an external expert in this field to conduct a full review of our safeguarding practices.”

Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, who led the Metropolitan Police investigation, said: “Child sexual abuse is one of the most horrific crimes imaginable and Chan’s crimes spanned years and revealed a pattern of calculated and predatory abuse. “He infiltrated environments that were supposed to be safe havens for children, exploiting the trust of families and the wider community to conceal his actions and prey on the most vulnerable.

“Our investigation is ongoing and we continue to examine digital devices and assess Chan’s behavior in all relevant settings. Had it not been for the initial report of child cruelty, Chan’s abuse could have continued unchecked and put countless more children at risk. We know the member of staff who raised his concerns.

“These horrific crimes have caused deep shock and distress. We thank the community for their continued co-operation and reaffirm our commitment to supporting victims and their families. If you have any concerns, please contact the dedicated NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 for specialist support. We are working closely with the NSPCC to ensure every affected family gets the help they need.”

Chan is expected to be sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court on January 23, 2026.

Anyone wishing to share information about Chan can contact OpLanark@met.police.uk or call 101 from within the UK using reference CAD3697/1DEC.